I love an interesting magic system in fantasy fiction, and Arcana Academy by Elise Kova has one that I haven’t seen before: Kind of like Magic meets tarot, talented arcanists can “ink” cards and use those cards for an escalating series of abilities, depending on the card number.
There are a few parts of this that I like. The first is the actual inking. If I understand correctly, some cards can be used by anyone. But only a small number of people–those who go through the academy–can actually create cards, and most cards are one-time use.
The second is that the use of the cards for magic is essentially a tabletop game brought to life. That’s the feeling every game based on magic is trying to evoke!
I’m enjoying the book for more than just its magic system. Pretty much the entire story is told through the eyes of the main character, and she’s a compelling character to follow. There are certainly some romantasy tropes here (rags to riches, chosen princess, dark/mysterious potential lover, etc), but they’re relatively minor parts of the story so far.
If it’s any indication, I’ve already preordered the second book in the series even though I’m only 65% of the way through the first book.
Have you read any good fantasy lately? Any interesting magic systems?